Town Meeting RoundUp

Staff Reports

Posted:
03/06/2014 12:15:59 PM EST

SANDGATE - Slightly fewer voters than usual turned out for the floor meetings and Australian ballot voting, a reflection of a lack of contested races for local offices and no hot button controversial issues, said Town Clerk Marge Peff Wednesday after town meeting.

"It was a low-key, positive meeting," she said.

The one item that did generate some passion was the possibility of losing school choice should a consolidation proposal become law.
A write-in campaign to legislators opposing the concept was discussed, Peff said.

In voting, Suzanne DePeyster was elected to the 3-year Select Board seat. Jerome "Jerry" Hall won election to a 1-year seat on the Select Board, and Thomas Santelli won election to the other 1-year select board seat. Jeanne Zoppel was election to the 3-year school director seat.

In floor voting at the municipal meeting, all articles on the warning were passed, including one for purchasing a new town dump truck with a plow and sander for $70,000.

MT. TABOR - There were no contested races during Mt. Tabor's town meeting voting. Robert Gasperetti was elected town and school district moderator. Mark Audy was elected to the 3-year Select Board position. Sarah Donner was elected to the 3-year school board seat. Herbert Ogden was elected to the 3-year seat on the U.D.#23 school board.

PAWLET - Both the town and school budgets were approved via Australian ballot in Pawlet. The town budget of $355,279 passed 240-62 and the school district budget of $1,674,893 was approved 182-100.

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There were three select board seats open. Charles L. Weeden Jr. will remain in his one year seat earning 229 votes and Robert (Bob) Jones, also an incumbent, will stay in his 3-year seat on the board with 255 votes. Sara Ludlam, a write-in candidate won the other open select board seat with 88 votes. Town Clerk Deb Hawkins said Ludlam and Ken Cleveland, the other write-in candidate, both introduced themselves as candidates at the town meeting.

The Union School District #47 budget of $3,189,313 was adopted 191-89.

WESTON - The town of Weston accepted an amended version of their budget by voice vote at Town Meeting. Article 25 originally had the general fund budget at $421,920.47 that was amended to $458,719.97 and was approved by a voice vote on the floor. Article 26 dealt with the highway fund budget, which was amended from the $929,219.47 on the article to $1,096,469, which was also approved on the floor.
Incumbent Dennis Benson ran unopposed for his three year select board seat, which he will keep. Betty Currie defeated incumbent Shirley Knowlton 85 to 60 votes for a 2-year seat on the select board. Deborah Lyneis, the current School Director for the Mountain RED District, was re-elected to her three year term.

PERU - There was one open three year spot open on the select board. At Town Meeting, Todd Williams and Jim Daley were both nominated. Williiams won the seat with 65 votes and Daley received 6.

RUPERT - The three seats open on the select board will all be filled by incumbents. Mark Lourie, who was unopposed, will keep his 3-year seat and Linda Montague and Philip E. Mazzucco will each keep their 1-year seat. Both Montague and Mazzucco beat out Brett Lorie, who received 83 votes.
The town school district budget of $632,676 was approved, 142-48, as well as the U.D. #47 budget of $3,189, 313. Arlene Bentley was voted to two 3-year terms: Rupert School Director and Union District #47 School Director.

DORSET - There is a new face on the Dorset select board. With a five person race for two open one year seats, incumbent Steven Johes received 177 votes keeping his seat and Ryan Downey also won a seat with 161 votes. Downey will fill the seat left vacant by Marge Freed's resignation. Mike Oltedel, who ran unopposed, will also keep his three year select board seat.

Voter's approved the $1,721,026 budget of 333-27. Voters also approved $100,000 from the fiscal year 2013 budget to install an emergency generator in town hall.

Finally, the town school district budget of $5,028,357 was approved 294 votes to 81.

LANDGROVE - 33 voters or 43 percent of Landgrove's checklist attended Town Meeting this year. All seven articles from the meeting warning were approved. Jeremiah Everts was re-elected to his 3-year select board seat. The budget of $1,378,222 was also approved.

JAMAICA - Voters approved the town's budget of $1,104,119 - $903,395 to be raised by taxes - from the floor on Tuesday. Judy Flower was elected to the select board for a three-year term, Paul Fraser was elected for a one-year term and Peter Paige was elected for a one-year term. However, as of press time it was unclear if Paige would accept the position as a member of the board. Select Board chair Alexa Clark said Paige had until Monday night's meeting to make that decision.

Voters also approve the school budget of $1,187,170. Tom Tolbert was elected to a two-year term as school director and Amber Burrows was elected to the three-year term.

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